Netflix Orders French Sci-Fi Series ‘Osmosis’

Netflix recently made international headlines when it expanded its European operations. That expansion included the construction of a new Amsterdam-based customer service headquarters and the hiring of 400 new employees to staff its multilingual support center. Netflix currently streams in 190 countries and is on a big push to take on up to $1 billion in foreign debt in order to fund new original content from every corner of the globe. Interest and tax rates are currently favorable in Europe, and most European countries have average internet speeds far exceeding those in the United States. Netflix’s push for wider recognition on the European streaming market just got a big push thanks to a newly-signed deal for Netflix to carry its second original French series, titled Osmosis.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, eight episodes of the science fiction/romance series are on the way. Osmosis is set in the Paris of the near-future where powerful artificial intelligence systems choose humans’ romantic partners for them. Naturally, there will be intrigue and conflict as man and machine square off in a battle for the meaning of love in the 21st century.

Osmosis began as a web series hailed as France’s Black Mirror. The full-length adaptation is being produced by French studio and distributor Capa Drama. The series’ showrunner Audrey Fouche stated that the creative freedom Netflix offers creators makes the streaming service a perfect vehicle for their groundbreaking visionary series:

I am very excited about the rare opportunity to create a futuristic series in France, and join together with Netflix and Capa Drama for my first project. As a young creator, Netflix offers an ideal platform to explore these very contemporary stories in an innovative way, which I am looking forward to sharing soon.

No release date has been announced. Despite the optimism of Osmosis’ showrunner, Netflix might have troubles winning over French audiences. A recent disagreement with the Cannes Film Festival over two Netflix-produced submissions ruffled a few French feathers and led the prestigious festival to change their rules, possibly excluding Netflix for good. This type of friction is to be expected, however; Netflix’s rise as a global leader in both streaming and original content is unlike anything the media landscape has seen in recent memory.

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Author Brett Tingley

Brett lives at the foot of the ancient Appalachian mountains in Asheville, North Carolina and writes about technology, science, and culture.
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